


Kindred Chaos

by rhythmickorbit



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Bombs, Chaos, Comic Book Science, Established Relationship, Explosions, Falling In Love, Fluff, Infodumping, M/M, Multi, Science Experiments, Science Fiction, Talking, and cyclonus is there too, brainstorm made a bomb, but then they catch feelings for brainstorm, chaos bfs, cywhirlgate is established, implied kissing, listening, they do smooch eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhythmickorbit/pseuds/rhythmickorbit
Summary: During an informal meet-up among the former Lost Lighters, Brainstorm strikes up a conversation with Cyclonus about his latest experiment. When Tailgate and Whirl hear of this, a night of chaos ensues - during which they all catch feelings.It's interesting how time can change perceptions so drastically.
Relationships: Brainstorm/Cyclonus (Transformers), Brainstorm/Tailgate (Transformers), Brainstorm/Whirl (Transformers), Cyclonus/Tailgate (Transformers), Cyclonus/Tailgate/Whirl (Transformers), Cyclonus/Tailgate/Whirl/Brainstorm (Transformers), Cyclonus/Whirl (Transformers), Tailgate/Whirl
Comments: 8
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

“An interesting invention, Brainstorm. I think you are really onto something,” Cyclonus spoke suddenly, his hands folded and his optics bright and _interested._ Which was something _completely_ unexpected. No one, except for, perhaps, Perceptor was ever _interested_.

Brainstorm did a double take, nearly dropping the highly experimental, highly volatile explosive in his hands. “Excuse me— I mean, of _course_ it is, it’s an element we just developed, Percy and I, but it was mostly me that came up with the idea— I’m just that much of a genius, you know.” His wings flared slightly— he hoped that Cyclonus didn’t notice.

Of course, though, those burning optics immediately flicked toward the movement, and Brainstorm felt his faceplates burn. He made a coughing sound.

“You _are_ intelligent,” Cyclonus said decisively, mouth curled upward. “Everyone is already well aware of that.”

Compliments _fed_ Brainstorm’s motivation. Nautica knew this, Percy knew this, Velocity knew this… His tanks churned with a feeling he had not felt in vorns. He placed the explosive gently on the table as Swerve set down four cubes — three next to Cyclonus, and one in front of Brainstorm. He blinked; he did not recall ordering any engex.

“Hey, whatcha got there?” a raucuous voice piped up as Whirl’s bright gaze appeared over Cyclonus’ shoulder. His optic flicked toward the vial on the table, suddenly glowing bright with interest. “What’s _that_ do?”

“Well, technically, it’s a highly explosive and volatile substance that I’ve developed, which Percy and I are repurposing to create a more effective cleaning agent,” Brainstorm explained, wings hiking up with all of the attention. “But, really, it’s just explosive.”

“Okay, okay,” Whirl snickered, nudging past Cyclonus and downing the cube of engex. “The last part interests me. When are we blowing something up again like old times?”

“Whirl, that component is something Brainstorm worked hard to develop—” Cyclonus started to say.

“Now. We can blow some slag up now. You know any junkyards around here?” Brainstorm stood up, feeling the engex start to kick in. His spark was spinning in a way that it hadn’t since the _Lost Light_.

“Oh, Brainstorm,” Whirl’s optic narrowed with mischief. “Who says it has to be in a junkyard?”

“Me,” Cyclonus cut in. “We aren’t going to interrupt reconstruction any more this week—”

“Please,” Tailgate’s voice piped up as the top of his head popped into view. He clambered onto a stool and snatched the cube with a curly straw sticking out of it. “It isn’t like you did _anything_ to stop Whirl from smashing that statue, and— what was it you said?-- ‘it was an affront to Cybertronian culture’ anyway.”

“It was,” Cyclonus defended. “It would have made the pavilion unbearable to sit in. I am not taking my conjunx someplace defiled with what is essentially a pile of junk.”

Whirl cycled his optic in exasperation. “Off-topic, Cyc. You coming with Stormy and me or not?”

“I know _I’m_ coming,” Tailgate said, visor glowing with manic excitement. He glanced at Brainstorm, legs kicking back and forth. “Aside from the statue-smashing, life is pretty tame up in Tetrahex,” he explained. “I almost miss the daily mortal peril.”

“When you’re with me,” Brainstorm boasted, “you’re in danger almost all the time.”

“‘S what makes you so appealing, Stormy,” Whirl crooned, creeping over to Brainstorm and putting a claw on his shoulder. “Why don’t the four of us get out of here and cause some _mayhem_?”

Cyclonus let out a puff of air out of his vents, but Brainstorm didn’t think he sounded _that_ upset.

* * *

The destruction was, needless to say, _glorious_ . Whirl lead the group to a pit of junk— metal and parts of buildings that the construction crews were just going to _bury_ , and Brainstorm had dropped the vial into the crater. He heard Whirl cackling over the comm channel as he open fired, and the whole pile below _exploded_ in a cacophany of reds and pinks and greens and blues. He could see the metal flying out in glowing comets, leaving trails of sparks in their wake. 

It was _beautiful_ , and Brainstorm let out a whoop as he, Cyclonus, and Whirl streaked overhead. The heat beneath his wings was glorious. He had not been in the field like this, far from Percy’s numbers and organization, for so long. He felt images of weapons, unnecessarily elaborate and ridiculous and unfit for war, begin to formulate lazily in his processor. He was _tired_ of practicality— 

“Brainstorm,” Tailgate said over the comms, “you should stay at our place for the night! It’s a long flight back to your lab, right?”

“Actually, it isn’t that bad—”

_“Right,_ it is,” Whirl interjected. “We don’t want your destructive genius to get damaged by exhaustion, right?”

“That’s not—”

“I agree,” Cyclonus said. “Come over for energon, Brainstorm.”

Brainstorm could only look helplessly after the two flightframes as he ran out of protests. Perceptor wouldn’t mind going back to an empty lab— there would be less of a mess, after all. He sent a quick comm to his lab partner and followed them.

* * *

“-- and _then_ he tried to say something about Whirl, so I picked him up and threw him. He slammed right into the door and let me tell you, his manager was _pissed_ ,” Tailgate finished triumphantly. Brainstorm and Whirl snickered, while Cyclonus tutted good-naturedly.

“What _I_ would have done,” Brainstorm said, playing with one of the gears scattered on the floor, “is rig the energon dispenser in the break room to burst into _flame_ , but not _real flame_ because that’s boring and expensive— and it would obviously give off a smell. You can pull that off with an energon nitrate, by the way, in case you wanted to know. Smells foul, but the expressions are _worth it_ . The compound messes with your olfactory sensors, and if you play it right you can get ‘bots to smell _all kinds_ of stuff. And— what?” he blinked, wings twitching in surprise at the optics gazing at him attentively. “What’re you looking at?”

“It’s _interesting_ , smarty-struts,” Whirl huffed. “Keep going, you slagger, I was getting into it. I literally had no idea about _any of that._ ”

“Yeah, me either,” Tailgate chirped. “I’ll have to pull that energon trick next time that damn manager tries to mess with his employees like that— though I guess I’ll have to get you to do that. We… aren’t allowed in that store anymore.”

“Their service sucked aft anyway,” Whirl said flippantly. He sprawled out on the floor, his head resting in Cyclonus’ lap. 

“It was despicable,” Cyclonus inclined his head. “The derogatory comments made by the manager made him deserving of Tailgate’s retaliation.”

Brainstorm screwed two of the gears together, and briefly wondered what he could make with a chrono’s components. “You all have turned utterly domestic.”

“That’s why we need _you_ around, Stormy,” Whirl groused. “You’re cooped up in the lab with _Perceptor_ and we’re forced to throw rude people. You would have made that situation more interesting.”

Brainstorm coughed, turning his gaze back toward his hands. His frame was heating. He recognized this feeling, and he wasn’t certain how right it was. Perceptor was a wonderful amica, always willing to listen— but he had his own life outside of the lab, catching up with old Wreckers compatriots and colleagues. Brainstorm hadn’t had a life outside of the lab, save for an occasional visit from Nautica or Velocity or both.

Tailgate draped his legs over Brainstorm’s, who froze, glancing at Whirl and Cyclonus as if for permission. His tanks churned. Whirl’s optic was shut as Cyclonus traced his helm, and the latter’s optics were as soft as Brainstorm had ever seen them. It was an invitation, one that Brainstorm wasn’t sure what to make of.

“They’re so sappy,” Tailgate whispered knowledgeably, visor sparkling with mischief. “And when they’re not doing that they’re _sparring_. It’s sickening.”

“Hush, little one,” Cyclonus said, lips twitching upward.

“Shaddap,” Whirl muttered.

“Should I… leave?” Brainstorm asked.

“Nope! You’re trapped here— if you wanna be!” Tailgate seemed to smirk. “We need more chaos in our lives, if you can believe it— Cyclonus even said so the other day.”

“Not my exact words.”

“Anyway— we invited you here for a reason. You can leave whenever, but I personally want to hear more stuff about nitrates. Can you explain it again?” Tailgate’s attention turned back toward Brainstorm, head tilted.

Brainstorm cleared his vocalizer. “Of course— well. Nitrates can be added to energon like copper or iron or silver, but Percy and I found that they make it corrode metal, which is why it messes with your olfactory senses—”

He could get used to this— to the soft looks and attentive audails and heated plating and Tailgate’s legs rested on his own and Whirl and Cyclonus being comfortable and everything being so _comfortable._ Later, Brainstorm took off his faceplate and allowed his wings to flare. 

It turned out that kissing was something he had long missed out on.


	2. Cables and Fangs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brainstorm's new roommates are very affectionate, one in particular.

His new housemates, Brainstorm discovered,  _ really _ enjoyed physical affection.

It was rather jarring, to be certain, after his long stint as Perceptor’s lab partner— and being in a war in which affection was not only a sign of weakness, but something that could be exploited. Something that could, hypothetically, lead someone to create a time machine and attempt to stop the death of said something.

Brainstorm would often see any combination of his three partners (he still couldn’t believe he was saying that) draped over each other, or holding hands, or drawing circles absentmindedly on any free plating in reach while watching something on the holovid screen. 

Which was happening now— and there was nothing playing on the screen. He was sitting next to Cyclonus, half-paying attention to the report from the previous cycle’s experiment in his hands— but was gravely distracted by the hand resting idly on his knee. 

He glanced toward Cyclonus, and there was  _ eye contact _ , and Brainstorm’s lips parted slightly— his was  _ very  _ aware of their presence now— “Um… you think we…”

He froze in place. The sensory nodes on his face, so often covered and stimulated so little, made him feel paralyzed, helpless in the wake of Cyclonus’ sudden caressing lips, the brief drag of his fangs, the overwhelming heat emanating from contact— 

To his disappointment, Cyclonus pulled away, concern gracing his optics. “I apologize,” he said, inclining his head. “I misread your intent—”

“No, no,” Brainstorm said quickly, waving his hand flippantly. “Uh, you didn’t. I just wasn’t expecting you to… follow through.” His winglets flicked upward nervously. Brainstorm hated when they did that. Well, not  _ normally, _ but in this instance, he did. They betrayed inexperience. They betrayed how absolutely  _ horrible  _ he was about this physical intimacy, so new and so unlike the gestures given to him by his amica— brief embraces by Velocity, light punches in the shoulder and elbows in the side by Nautica, nods and smiles from Perceptor.

Cyclonus met this with a soft smile, a glint of fang giving it an edge. A look, far too knowing, gleamed in his gaze. “I see.” He leaned closer. Brainstorm’s wings fluttered without his permission. He bit his lip.

Cyclonus’ hand cupped his cheek, claws grazing the tubes connecting his jawplates. Brainstorm couldn’t help but shiver at that, and was rewarded with something akin to a smirk. Cyclonus’ vents brushed Brainstorm’s face, and their lips met.

He almost froze again as Cyclonus kissed him gently once again. Steeling himself, however, he reciprocated in the best way he knew how, blindly following his motions and putting his hands on Cyclonus as he did so— when did they get that close? That wasn’t important— Brainstorm had research to do—

\--which abruptly ended when Cyclonus released his hold, panting slightly. Brainstorm cycled air through his vents at last, realizing that he hadn’t been doing so for the whole duration. That would have been important.

“Good,” Brainstorm managed, when his systems had somewhat emerged from the haze.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Cyclonus snorted softly, fingers brushing the side of Brainstorm’s face once more.

“Is this… a regular thing?”

“If you would like it to be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cyclonus is the softest out of all of his sparkmates you can't tell me otherwise.
> 
> Ummm yeah i didnt intend to make this a multi-chapter thing but imma just make this my cywhirlgatestorm place now ;) its a mini-story, i think, that i will update as i feel like it

**Author's Note:**

> We were talking about cywhirlgatestorm on the cuck rung discord and I immediately needed to write something about it... and thus this was born. I need more of the chaos bfs + cyclonus IMMEDIATELY.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this haphazard, fluffy fic with the boys!


End file.
